On one side, we have Harriet, an outspoken feminist known for polyamorous pursuits and intimate portraiture (imagine a cross between Erica Jong and Gloria Steinem) Joe’s dad is mostly out of the picture. In this setting, the betrothed couple, Yasmin and Joe, instantly lose the spotlight to their parents, who are such lively characters, they practically waltz off the page to hand readers save-the-date cards.īut let’s not get ahead of ourselves: We’re talking about a complicated merger. The highly orchestrated breaking of bread (or, more accurately, ladling of curry) will take place at the posh London home of Harriet Sangster, mother of the groom. This sprawling buffet of a story begins with the meeting of two families whose adult children - both seemingly mature and generally of sound mind - are marrying each other. Two decades and many family meals and holiday negotiations later, I was reminded of my uncle’s prescience while reading Monica Ali’s fifth novel, LOVE MARRIAGE (Scribner, 419 pp., $27.99). I understood that corporate-speak might apply to other nuptials, but not to ours, thank you very much. I was going for more of a Pablo Neruda vibe (“in which there is no I or you,/so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that/when I fall asleep your eyes close”). “Remember,” he said, “marriage is a merger of families, not just two people.” At the time, I found this notion appallingly unromantic. When my now-husband and I announced that we were getting married, my uncle called to offer congratulations and wisdom.
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